Michael Watkins has spent the past two decades working with leaders, both corporate and public, as they transition to new roles, negotiate the future of their organizations, and craft their legacy as leaders. A recognized expert in his field, he ranked among Thinkers50’s top fifty management influencers globally in 2019. He is the best-selling author of The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, the globally acknowledged handbook for leadership and career transitions, which recently earned the accolade of Amazon’s Top 100 Leadership Books. He is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at the IMD Business School in Switzerland and previously served on the faculty at INSEAD and Harvard University, where he earned his PhD in Decision Sciences.
Facing times of unprecedented peril, we need to urgently develop a pipeline of leaders capable of mobilizing, focusing and sustaining the energy of teams and organizations. Drought and floods, war in Ukraine, rising political polarization, severe economic headwinds, and an escalating great power conflict have made the dire challenges we face all too clear. Perhaps […]
During a major crisis, the natural tendency is to focus on mobilizing your organization to meet the threat. It’s not too early, however, to start planning now to thrive after the crisis.COVID-19 is accelerating the adoption of digital technologies and new business models that will transform industries. It also is catalyzing the development of valuable, […]
It’s all-too-easy to shift into “action mode” during a crisis and forget that your people are experiencing great uncertainty about their futures. So, even as you experience the powerful impulse to act, temper that with a focus on coaching your people through a potentially crippling period of uncertainty. While the situation may be very difficult, […]
In his recent podcast with How to be Awesome at Your Job‘s Pete Mockaitis, Michael Watkins shares the new conversations leaders need to have in order to empower and support their teams during difficult times. You’ll Learn: Michael Watkins Interview Transcript Pete MockaitisMichael, welcome back to the How to be Awesome at Your Job podcast. Michael WatkinsIt’s great to be […]
Many companies think they are doing a good job of onboarding newly-hired executives when they actually aren’t… In “Onboarding Isn’t Enough,” a recent Harvard Business Review article co-authored with Mark Byford and Lena Triantogiannis from Egon Zehnder, we showed that many companies think they are doing a good job of onboarding newly-hired executives when they actually aren’t. […]
How should the COVID-19 Crisis change the way leaders engage with their teams? This question came into focus for me while I sat in on a “check-in” call with a senior health-care company executive and her reports about COVID-19 impacts on their business. The team openly and authentically shared the emotional challenges that they – […]
